AUTHOR'S NOTE AND A WARNING TO READERS: College roommates develop feelings for one another. Please read the tags before proceeding - and I hope you'll enjoy the story!
It is a work of fiction, and all of the characters in the story are above the age of eighteen.
All of my work - including this one - is copyrighted. © Devinter.
--- KEEPING THEA WARM ---
"Are you cold?" came Thea's squeaky voice from the other bed across the dorm room. The creaky bedspring mattress made its noisy complaint as the freckled girl pushed herself up on her elbows, and with doe-like eyes, stared at Lovisa timidly from her side of the room.
"No," the sophomore student replied curtly, keeping her eyes on the page. However, her forehead wrinkled as her concentration was disturbed, knowing full well that the conversation wasn't over - and the book which had held her spellbound a few seconds prior lost its magical mesmerization as Lovisa's heart began to accelerate, unable to resist what she knew was coming.
"Are you sure?" Thea pressed, followed by the sound of her slippers padding softly across the floorboards. She stood by her roommate's bed, peeking over at what Lovisa was reading. Her stance was timid and unsure. She clutched a thin nightgown around her small frame, her curly hair tousled into untidy locks about her face.
"I am indeed."
A pause. A moment of silence. But Thea remained standing there, a bemused look on her cherubim features, so Lovisa sighed and continued: "Why? Are you cold?"
"Yeah." The girl wriggled from one foot to the other.
Lovisa groaned, putting her book down on her chest. "Thea, I adore you, but don't you think this is getting weird?"
"Sorry," the younger girl muttered, looking more lost than ever. She picked at her nails nervously and rocked back and forth on her heels. "It's much warmer in your bed," she mumbled under her breath.
During their first year at Marbella Springs University, they'd slowly developed a friendship. Thea was a bit of an oddball, her social skills lacking somewhat, often misunderstanding others' intentions. At first, Lovisa had pitied the quiet girl - but over time, they had grown to understand each other, and their friendship had strengthened over the months that followed. Now, the both of them sophomores, they had selected one another as roommates. For the most part, it worked well - the two of them balancing each other out: Lovisa the social butterfly, and Thea the quiet introvert. Yet lately - the past week especially - Thea's behavior had begun to make Lovisa a little bit uneasy. And confused.
"Can we.. Can I please get in with you?" Thea asked, fidgeting. She made no effort to hide the flush that crept over her cheeks as her big eyes looked down into Lovisa's face, her lips pursed together as though awaiting rebuke once more. When Lovisa didn't answer her, she added: "Just for tonight?"
"Hmm, where have I heard that before?" Lovisa said with a mocking, sardonic tone. "Oh yeah, from YOU! Literally last night."
"Please," Thea added in a whispering voice, as if saying it softer would make Lovisa relent more easily. And she always did relent. Four nights in a row, Thea had been snuggled up against her side, holding on to her through the night. Not once had the little woman seemed particularly chilly during these late-night visits, which was in part why Lovisa found them strange and disconcerting.
"If you are scared of the dark, we can just leave a small light on." Lovisa rubbed the bridge of her nose in exasperation, but it didn't do much to ease her tension. Her hands felt a little clammy and she forced them under the warm blanket for a moment while making an effort to breathe steadily. Could she handle another another night of the smaller girl lying beside her with those innocent eyes staring up at her in the darkness without doing something she might regret? "Is that it? You're scared?"
Thea shook her head silently, but said nothing. Just stood there, staring awkwardly. Waiting.
A frustrated noise escaped the blonde woman's lips. Inside, Lovisa was torn. Thea was like a cuddly ball of fluff, one that had burrowed into every cell of Lovisa's body. And then there was the matter of how sweet she smelled; the lingering scent of rosewater on her skin and hair. No perfume either, just pure Thea. If Lovisa was honest with herself, that was why the entire reason she was so defensive and reluctant about the whole ordeal. For how many more nights could she have Thea wrapped around her without being tempted beyond measure by those pillowy lips? But Lovisa was straight.. Wasn't she?
She swallowed hard. "Fine. I don't mind if you want to get warm." She pulled the covers up and patted the empty space beside her - and Thea, all shy smiles, clumsily kicked off her slippers and got in.
"Thanks!" The girl beamed, burrowing into the blankets and tucking herself snuggly against Lovisa's side. She held onto her roommate's midsection, but made no further attempt at intimacy beyond that.
"You are hopeless." Lovisa spoke the words fondly, as she leaned back against her pillow and picked up her book once more. Within minutes, Thea had fallen asleep.
They remained like that for another fifteen minutes, until Lovisa found it difficult to focus on the words in front of her. Instead of reading, she would gaze at Thea's petite form; long lashes brushing her cheeks, mouth slightly ajar, one arm around her friend's body as if they were lovers. For a brief moment, Lovisa wondered if the little lady would have cuddled up with someone else if she were unavailable? If Thea had chosen a different roommate? The thought hurt more than it should have. Perhaps it was a selfish way of looking at it, but Lovisa took a certain pleasure in knowing she was able to provide comfort to the young woman in a world that otherwise seemed cruel and harsh towards people like her.
